The Notion of Pride in Doris Lessing’s The Grass is Singing (1949)

Abstract : This article studies the notion of ‘pride’ in Doris Lessing’s The Grass is Singing. As internal emotion, pride is not easily spotted. It is a sentiment which conceals itself through mutual exchanges between people of different social classes or people held by family ties such like marital. These two entities are the stepping stones Doris Lessing uses to unfold the expression of pride in her novel. Pride is paramount throughout the novel. It is omnipresent in social relations between whites and blacks, men and women, poor and rich. It is expressed first through the relation between members of any class; people are tempted to look down upon each other for the sake of social status. It is also expressed in the relationships between people of different races and sexes. What Lessing wants to show is pride is a human prerogative; it depends neither on the color of the skin nor on the sex. In opposition, its positive connotation must be also taken into account, that is the pride to belong to a society which defends some values, a society which is not perverted

Technical efficiency of sanio millet intensification practices in the Kolda and Sédhiou regions

This paper purpose is to highlight the technical efficiency of intensification practices in the regions of Kolda and Sédhiou by using the Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) method. This study’s results show firstly that the use of improved seeds and chemical or organic fertilizers are technically more efficient with a level of 62.99% and 56.88%. Secondly, both application of improved land clearing practices and crop rotation or succession allow millet sanio farmers to operate at 50.83% and 46.84% of their production potential respectively. Finally, farmers who produce without any intensification practices obtain a technical efficiency of 36.76%, whereas the adoption of two and five practices provides 55.98% and 82.75% of technical efficiency respectively. These results suggest investing in agricultural inputs and vulgarizing intensification practices in agricultural programs and policies.L’objectif de cet article est de montrer l’efficience technique des pratiques d’intensification dans les régions de Kolda et de Sédhiou à partir de la méthode des Analyses de Frontières   Stochastiques (SFA). Les résultats de l’étude montrent d’abord que les pratiques des semences améliorées et des engrais chimiques ou organiques procurent plus d’efficience technique avec un niveau de 62,99% et de 56,88%. Ensuite, l’application des pratiques du défrichement amélioré et de la rotation ou la succession culturale permettent aux exploitants de mil sanio d’opérer respectivement à 50,83% et 46,84% de leurs potentiels de production. Enfin, les exploitants qui font la production sans pratique d’intensification obtient une efficience technique de 36.76%, alors que l’adoption de deux et de cinq pratiques procurent respectivement 55,98% et 82,75% d’efficience technique. Ces résultats impliquent l’investissement sur les intrants agricoles et la vulgarisation des pratiques d’intensification dans les politiques et programmes agricoles

Antibiotic susceptibility profile of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from acute respiratory infection in Dakar: a cross sectional study

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a pathogen causing pneumonia, meningitis, otitis and bacteraemia. Nowadays, S. pneumoniae is developing antibacterial resistance, particularly for those with reduced susceptibility to penicillin. The objective of this study was to assess the susceptibility profile of S. pneumoniae strains isolated from acute respiratory infections (ARIs) in children younger than 5 years of age in Dakar, Senegal. S. pneumoniae strains were isolated from broncho-alveolar lavages (BALs), nasopharyngeal swabs, and middle ear secretion from children in the Paediatric Department of Abass Ndao University Teaching Hospital and Paediatric Department of Roi Baudouin Hospital in Dakar, Senegal. The strains were cultivated on Columbia agar supplemented with 5% of horse blood and gentamicin (6 mg/L). Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using E-test method. A total of 34 strains of S. pneumoniae were isolated and identified in this study, among them 7 strains (20.58%) showed penicillin-resistance. Antibiotics such as amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (MIC90=0.036 μg/mL), cefuroxim (MIC90=0.38 μg/mL), cefixim (MIC90=1.5 μg/mL), as well as macrolides (azithromycin MIC90=1.5 μg/mL, clarithromycin MIC90=0.125 μg/mL) and fluoroquinolone (levofloxacin MIC90=1 μg/mL, ofloxacin MIC90=2 μg/mL) were mostly active. However, all S. pneumoniae strains were resistant to sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (MIC90: 32 μg/mL). Except of S. pneumoniae strains penicillin-resistance or reduced susceptibility, most strains were susceptible to β-lactams antibiotics commonly used in ARI treatment. Continuous surveillance of antimicrobial resistance patterns of pneumococcus strains is still crucial for effective control of ARIs in children

Feasibility and safety of integrating mass drug administration for helminth control with seasonal malaria chemoprevention among Senegalese children: a randomized controlled, observer-blind trial

BACKGROUND: The overlap in the epidemiology of malaria and helminths has been identified as a potential area to exploit for the development of an integrated control strategy that may help to achieve elimination of malaria and helminths. A randomized, controlled, observer-blind trial was conducted to assess the feasibility and safety of combining mass drug administration (MDA) for schistosomiasis and soil transmitted helminths (STH) with seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) among children living in Senegal. METHODS: Female and male children aged 1-14 years were randomized 1:1:1, to receive Vitamin A and Zinc on Day 0, followed by SMC drugs (sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and amodiaquine) on Days 1-3 (control group); or praziquantel and Vitamin A on Day 0, followed by SMC drugs on Days 1-3 (treatment group 1); or albendazole and praziquantel on Day 0, followed by SMC drugs on Days 1-3 (treatment group 2). Safety assessment was performed by collecting adverse events from all children for six subsequent days following administration of the study drugs. Pre- and post-intervention, blood samples were collected for determination of haemoglobin concentration, malaria microscopy, and PCR assays. Stool samples were analyzed using Kato-Katz, Merthiolate-iodine-formalin and PCR methods. Urine filtration, PCR and circulating cathodic antigen tests were also performed. RESULTS: From 9 to 22 June 2022, 627 children aged 1-14 years were randomized into the three groups described above. Mild, transient vomiting was observed in 12.6% (26/206) of children in treatment group 2, in 10.6% (22/207) in group 1, and in 4.2% (9/214) in the control group (p = 0.005). Pre-intervention, the geometric mean value of Plasmodium falciparum parasite density was highest among children who received albendazole, praziquantel with SMC drugs. Post-intervention, the parasite density was highest among children who received SMC drugs only. Children who received praziquantel and SMC drugs had a lower risk of developing severe anaemia than their counterparts who received SMC drugs alone (OR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.13-5.00, p = 0.63). CONCLUSIONS: Integration of MDA for helminths with SMC drugs was safe and feasible among Senegalese children. These findings support further evaluation of the integrated control model. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study is registered at Clinical Trial.gov NCT05354258

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

FARMERS' BEHAVIOR TOWARDS NEW TECHNOLOGY: THE SENEGALESE CASE

The adoption of new technology in developing countries is an important issue today. Several studies have been undertaken to discover ways of encouraging the development and the adoption of new technologies. In Senegal two different approaches to the transfer of technology to farmers are noticeable: the adapted technology approach and the intermediate technology approach. Of these, the intermediate technology approach embodied in oxen traction is the predominant approach to technology transfer in Senegal. This paper analyzes the behavior of Senegalese farmers towards this dominant kind of technology transfer in Thies Region, one of the old peanut basin regions of Senegal. Capital budgets for two oxen and two equipment options are prepared. Annualized benefit cost ratios are then computed to compare the prevailing labor intensive technology to the recommended and actual practices regarding equipment and feeding/marketing regimes for the oxen. The results of this analysis show that under prevailing farm conditions and price policies, the use of labor intensive technology is more profitable than the use of the two kinds of intermediate technologies embodied in oxen traction in Thies. The analysis points to the necessity of carefully considering the internal family wage system at the farm household level when dealing with changes in farming technology in developing countries. It further suggests that food grains which are surplus to household requirements have far greater value as a wage good than as marketed outputs

FARMERS' BEHAVIOR TOWARDS NEW TECHNOLOGY: THE SENEGALESE CASE

The adoption of new technology in developing countries is an important issue today. Several studies have been undertaken to discover ways of encouraging the development and the adoption of new technologies. In Senegal two different approaches to the transfer of technology to farmers are noticeable: the adapted technology approach and the intermediate technology approach. Of these, the intermediate technology approach embodied in oxen traction is the predominant approach to technology transfer in Senegal. This paper analyzes the behavior of Senegalese farmers towards this dominant kind of technology transfer in Thies Region, one of the old peanut basin regions of Senegal. Capital budgets for two oxen and two equipment options are prepared. Annualized benefit cost ratios are then computed to compare the prevailing labor intensive technology to the recommended and actual practices regarding equipment and feeding/marketing regimes for the oxen. The results of this analysis show that under prevailing farm conditions and price policies, the use of labor intensive technology is more profitable than the use of the two kinds of intermediate technologies embodied in oxen traction in Thies. The analysis points to the necessity of carefully considering the internal family wage system at the farm household level when dealing with changes in farming technology in developing countries. It further suggests that food grains which are surplus to household requirements have far greater value as a wage good than as marketed outputs.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

La relation entre finance et croissance revisitÉe dans les pays DE L’Afrique subsaharienne : BANQUES VERSUS MARCHÉS financiers

L’objectif de cet article est d’analyser la relation entre les banques et les marchés financiers des pays de l’Afrique subsaharienne et leurs contributions relatives à la croissance. Nous mettons l’accent sur les effets séparés des banques et des marchés financiers sur la croissance. Nous distinguons en effet deux indicateurs : la variable « activité – structure » qui mesure l’importance du marché des actions par rapport aux banques et la variable « activité – finance » qui tient compte en même temps du développement des banques et des marchés financiers. Les pays de l’échantillon sont ceux ayant des marchés financiers relativement développés. L’utilisation des tests de Granger et ses prolongements montre que la causalité hétérogène est rejetée. L’estimateur Mean Group (MG) nous a permis d’évaluer les coefficients de long terme de la relation. Nos estimations montrent l’effet dominant des banques sur les marchés financiers et l’existence d’une relation de complémentarité entre ces deux principales sources de financement de l’activité économique. Ce résultat est confirmé lorsque nous estimons la relation sans tenir compte de l’Afrique du Sud.The objective of this paper is to analyze the relationship between the banks and the financial markets of sub-Saharan Africa and their relative contributions to growth. We focus on the separate effects of banks and financial markets on growth. Indeed we distinguish two indicators : the variable “activity–structure” which measures the importance of the stock market compared to banks and the variable “activity – finance” that takes into account simultaneously the development of banks and financial markets. Sample countries are those with relatively developed financial markets. The use of Granger tests and its extensions shows that the heterogeneous causality is rejected. The Mean Group estimator (MG) has allowed us to assess the long-term coefficients of the relationship. Our estimates confirm the dominant effect of the banks in the financial markets and the existence of a complementary relationship between the two main sources of financing economic activity. This result is confirmed when we consider the relationship regardless of South Africa

Sénégal : un système pénitentiaire en crise. Acteurs et enjeux des débats en cours

The mutiny of prisoners in the jail of Rebeuss on 29 November 1996, sheds light on the crisis of the Senegalese penitentiary System. The mutiny revealed the dilapidated state of prisons and the difficult living conditions of prisoners, hardly improved by the limited social policy of the Senegalese government. The rebellion gives ample opportunity to analyze the discourse of diverse actors engagea in the debates about prisons (public and private press, human rights associations, international NGOs, managers of the penitentiary administration). It also illuminates the multiplicity of approaches proposed to find solutions to the crisis. Some progress is already palpable, however, with the graduai transformation of the rights of the detainees, and with the new interest that is developing within Senegalese public opinion over these issues.Le 29 novembre 1996, la mutinerie des détenus de la maison d'arrêt de Rebeuss met en lumière la crise de l'institution pénitentiaire au Sénégal. Elle révèle l'état des lieux de l'infrastructure carcérale, vétusté, et des conditions de vie difficiles des détenus, qui ne sont guère améliorées par la politique d'ouverture limitée des pouvoirs publics. Elle est aussi l'occasion d'une analyse des discours des acteurs du débat sur les prisons (presse publique et privée, organisations de défense des droits de l'homme, organisations internationales, responsables de l'administration pénitentiaire), et de la pluralité des approches dans les réflexions destinées à améliorer la situation. Néanmoins, des évolutions sont en cours, dont les moindres ne sont pas la transformation progressive du statut des détenus et l'intérêt nouveau pour ces questions de l'opinion publique sénégalaise.Thioub Ibrahima, Ba Babacar, Sene Ibra. Sénégal : un système pénitentiaire en crise. Acteurs et enjeux des débats en cours. In: Revue française d'histoire d'outre-mer, tome 86, n°324-325, 2e semestre 1999. Pour une histoire du contrôle social dans les mondes coloniaux : justice, prisons, et enfermement de l'espace, sous la direction de Florence Bernault, Pierre Boilley et Ibrahima Thioub. pp. 125-148

Analyse des effets des facteurs d’intensification sur les types d’exploitations agricoles du mil sanio au Sénégal

This study identifies the factors that influence the intensification of the sanio millet production system based on the farm’s typology. The methodological approach classifies, firstly, the farms through the method of multiple factors analysis and secondly, uses the logistics model to identify the determining factors of intensification in the farms. The results show that family farms can be classified into three types: traditional farms (type I), low productive farms (type II) and large productive farms (Type III). The results showed that the use of family labor, the amount of credit, the support of NGOs and the acquisition of land by inheritance increases the returns on the intensification of production in traditional farms. Ethnicity, the amount of credit, access to fertilizers and support from NGOs reinforce the intensification of yields in low-productivity or semi-modern farms. Ethnicity variables, access to fertilizers, support from NGOs, land acquisition by purchase encourage the intensification of production in highly productive or modern farms. However, the use of family labor and the amount of agricultural credit reduce yields on highly productive or modern farms. Keywords: Casamance, intensification, sanio millet, typologyL’objectif de l’étude est d’identifier l’effet facteurs d’intensification du système de production du mil sanio en fonction de la typologie des exploitations agricoles. L’approche méthodologique classifie, premièrement, les exploitations à travers la méthode des analyses en facteurs multiples et deuxièmement, utilise le modèle logit pour identifier les facteurs déterminants de l’intensification dans les exploitations agricoles. Les résultats ont montré que le recours à la main d’œuvre familiale, le montant du crédit, l’appui des ONG et l’acquisition de terres par héritage augmente les rendements sur l’intensification de la production dans les exploitations traditionnelles. L’ethnie, le montant du crédit, l’accès aux engrais et l’appui des ONG renforcent l’intensification des rendements dans les exploitations peu productives ou semi-modernes. Les variables ethnie, l’accès aux engrais, l’appui des ONG, l’acquisition des terres par achat encouragent l’intensification de la production dans les exploitations très productives ou moderne. Cependant, le recours à la main-d’œuvre familiale et le montant du crédit agricole diminuent les rendements dans les exploitations très productives ou modernes. Mots-clés: Intensification, typologie, mil sanio, Haute Casamanc